What is hops?

Hops is a flowering plant that is widely cultivated for its use in brewing beer. The dried flowers, also known as cones, are used to add flavor, aroma, and bitterness to beer. Hops contain compounds that have medicinal properties and have been used for centuries for their therapeutic benefits.

How does it work?

Hops contain compounds such as alpha-acids, beta-acids, and volatile oils, which have sedative, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds help to promote relaxation, improve sleep quality, and reduce anxiety.

What are the active ingredients that are important for its medicinal properties?

The active ingredients in hops include humulone and lupulone, which are alpha-acids, and xanthohumol, a flavonoid found in hops. These compounds have been shown to have sedative, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects.

What forms does it come in?

Hops are commonly available in the form of dried flowers, extract, tincture, oil, and capsule.

When was it first used for medicinal purposes?

The use of hops for medicinal purposes dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was used to treat a variety of health conditions, including digestive problems, skin infections, and insomnia.

What does Hops help with?

Hops are the dried flower cones of the hop plant. Most people know them from beer. In Europe, herbalists have long used them as a calming, sleep-friendly herb.

The strongest human research is on sleep, and most of it tested hops together with valerian. A few small clinical studies looked at hops extract for menopause symptoms. For the other uses, the evidence is thin or rests on tradition alone.

• Trouble falling asleep and poor sleep quality
  Good evidence — human randomised trials, mostly of hops combined with valerian. Hops are among the better-studied herbal sleep aids. In these trials, people taking hops with valerian fell asleep faster and rated their sleep as better. They also reported little of the next-day grogginess that often comes with prescription sleep drugs.
  Evidence grade B · Traditional tier T2
• Hot flashes during menopause
  Early evidence — small clinical studies of hops extract in menopausal women. Hops contain a compound called 8-prenylnaringenin. It is one of the strongest plant estrogen-like compounds found in nature. In these small studies, women taking hops extract reported fewer and milder hot flashes.
  Evidence grade C · Traditional tier T2
• Night sweats that wake you up
  Early evidence — findings from the same small hops extract studies in menopausal women. Night sweats often travel with hot flashes. In clinical studies of hops extract, women reported less nighttime sweating and less broken sleep. The estrogen-like activity behind this has been shown mainly in lab work.
  Evidence grade C · Traditional tier T2
• Sleep problems from shift work
  Early evidence — one small clinical study of a valerian-hops combination in shift workers. This study looked at people whose work hours fight their body clock. They took valerian combined with hops. Sleep quality and daytime alertness both improved.
  Evidence grade C · Traditional tier T2
• Mild low mood and irritability around menopause
  Long traditional use · not yet tested in trials — a few small studies in menopausal women, where mood was not the main measure. Some research points to less low mood and irritability in women taking hops. These were side findings within hot flash studies. The numbers are small and the results are mixed.
  Evidence grade D · Traditional tier T2
• Everyday anxiety and feeling wired but tired
  Long traditional use · not yet tested in trials — lab work on brain chemistry plus small studies of combination products. In lab studies, hops acted on the brain's own calming chemistry. Human evidence for everyday anxiety is thin and comes mostly from products that also contain valerian. Any effect described so far is mild, and hops is not habit-forming.
  Evidence grade D · Traditional tier T2
• Winding down after a stressful day
  Long traditional use · not yet tested in trials — traditional Western herbal use; no human trial on file for stress alone. Herbalists have long given hops in the evening to help people settle. Users describe a calmer mental state and an easier slide into rest. No study on file has tested hops for stress on its own.
  Evidence grade insufficient · Traditional tier T2
• Bloating, cramping and slow digestion
  Long traditional use · not yet tested in trials — traditional use and the known action of bitter herbs; no human trials on file. Hops taste bitter. Bitter herbs are thought to trigger digestive juices in the stomach and gut, and a whole family of herbal tonics rests on this idea. Human trials of hops for bloating or cramping are not on file.
  Evidence grade insufficient · Traditional tier T2

What Hops has not been shown to do

• Hops on its own has not been shown to give the sleep results seen in the trials, because most of those trials tested hops together with valerian.
• Hops has not been shown to treat depression or a diagnosed anxiety disorder; the mood findings covered mild, passing low mood only.
• Hops has not been shown to match hormone therapy for menopause symptoms, since no study on file compared the two head to head.
• Hops has not been shown in any human trial on file to ease bloating, cramping or other gut complaints.
• No study on file tested beer as a way to get any of these effects.

How to read this:

Each use gets its own grade, because the research behind them is not equal. A means steady results across randomised human trials. B means at least one good human trial. C means small or early human studies. D means the human evidence is weak or clashes. Insufficient means there is no human study at all, only lab work, animal work or tradition. This page lists options and what studies found. It is not advice, and it does not cover who should avoid it. Talk with a clinician before you start, especially if you take other medicines.

What can it help prevent?

• Osteoporosis
• Cancer
• Heart Disease
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Insomnia and sleep disturbances
• Digestive issues
• Menopausal symptoms
• Inflammation

Which foods are rich in it?

Hops are not commonly found in food sources and are primarily used in the production of beer.

What are possible side effects?

Common side effects of hops include headache, dizziness, and drowsiness.

What’s the recommended daily dose?

The recommended daily dose of hops varies depending on the form and the intended use. For insomnia and anxiety, a dose of 300-400 mg of dried hops is often recommended

How many days does it take to work?

The effects of hops can be seen within a few days to a week of consistent use.

What time of day is best to take it?

It is best to take hops in the evening or at bedtime, as it has sedative properties that can help promote relaxation and improve sleep quality.

Is it best to take it with or without food?

Hops can be taken with or without food, as desired.